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Note: A version of this post originally appeared in Marketing Land.
After decades of trying to fill a brand’s proverbial leaky bucket — continually flooding it with acquisition dollars instead of plugging the holes with retention spend — marketers are finally turning the tide.
According to a recent Gartner survey of CMOs, marketing leaders are now allocating two-thirds of their budgets toward customer retention and growth initiatives in an effort to boost lifetime values. That’s a drastic swing from last year, when the results of a CMO survey conducted by my company, Signal, revealed marketers were still spending three-quarters of marketing budgets on acquisition.
Why the sudden change? Because the disruptive wave of Amazon, the most valuable brand on the planet, continues to swell, leaving a demanding, fickle, experience-driven marketplace in its wake.
By leveraging every bit of customer data to innovate and deliver more valuable offerings, Amazon continually entices shoppers to come back and spend more — and brands that haven’t adopted customer-centric strategies are barely keeping afloat. Now, under increased pressure to prove budgets and results, marketers are revisiting the concept of customer lifetime value and pouring more into data analytics (this year’s top marketing expenditure, according to the Gartner survey) to increase satisfaction, retention and loyalty among the customers they already have.
Yet while marketers seem to be on the right track, what’s really going to be a brand’s lifesaver is identity. Analyzing customer data is one thing; turning it into a strategic asset is another. To create true competitive advantage, marketers need to unite all their customer data — online and off, past and present — into a single, everlasting and always-enriching record of behaviors, intents and desires.
For some of you, identity is still a buzzword. But for others, such as Netflix and Airbnb, it’s the foundation of their business. Increasingly, it’s what’s transforming legacy business models like Walmart and Ace Hardware into future-forward brands. And today it defines its own category in the Marketing Technology LUMAscape.
Granted, I understand identity’s complexity, and how much enterprise-wide coordination is needed to put in place the right technology solution, data strategy and skill sets. But for marketers who are not yet on board, what’s at stake is the fundamental ability to retain customers, grow those relationships and increase lifetime values.
Let me break it down.
Customer relationships are not hit-and-miss. Neither should be marketing.
As the underlying link between otherwise completely random events and interactions with a customer, identity provides the contextual relevancy necessary to understand and relate to consumers on a personal and continual basis.
Without a clear understanding of the customer, why she is interacting with a brand and what she is looking for, marketers can’t possibly create experiences that spur ongoing relationships. Not to mention that without any record of the customer’s previous behaviors and activities, marketers won’t have the context to know what attracted her in the first place. This is particularly significant for brands that offer lots of products or have multiple entry points for engagements.
Acquisition and retention may have separate budgets. But as strategies, they go hand in hand.
Traditionally, once brands acquire a new customer, they rely on owned channels to further the relationship. This, of course, has its limitations, often resulting in extraneous interactions that are more annoying than useful.
Customer identity technologies allow brands to connect their acquisition and retention initiatives by leveraging newly acquired first-party data across digital media. Rooting profiles in deterministic and persistent identifiers, marketers can keep pace and track customers as they move across channels and time. Brands can now strategize more significant, ongoing engagements at moments of discovery, decision, purchase and beyond, advancing relationships and, ultimately, increasing customer lifetime values.
Conversion rates don’t create high lifetime values. Delighted customers do.
As we all know, calculating customer lifetime value is tricky, and there is no perfect formula. But given that experience has replaced product as a brand’s key differentiator, this performance metric must take into account more than just transactions over lifetime. It must also consider the types of engagements, historical behaviors, influencer potential, even the value of customer feedback — none of which adds up without identity.
Identity allows marketers to discover and define their most valuable customers (whether that’s high-spenders, frequent-purchasers, longtime loyalists or something else) and make them more valuable, or even make more like them. Knowing the interests and behaviors of new and existing customers, marketers can determine the mix of media and engagements that drives particular individuals to spend more and use these insights to influence behaviors in their less profitable counterparts.
At a time when 40 percent of consumers have already shown a high willingness to jump ship and another 25 percent are developing a similar mindset, retaining and increasing the value of existing customers has never been more pivotal. Certainly, increasing marketing budget toward customer retention and growth strategies sets brands on a course for success. But only with identity can marketers truly stem the Amazonian tide.


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On the 27th November 2019 trailblazer businesses gathered at The Pavilion at the Tower of London to honour the finest examples of entrepreneurship and SME growth in the country.
As consumers look for easier and more convenient ways to shop, how can small businesses keep up with the changing times?
Businesses provide products and services to the masses, enhancing and transforming people’s lives within their sectors.
Skills you learn in a job can be transferrable, but what matters is whether you know how to adapt and apply them throughout your career.
What do small businesses want to see from political party manifestos this week?
Since it was first imported to the UK in 2013, Black Friday has continued to grow in importance for the retail sector.
Businesses are now scrambling to keep up with the latest Brexit developments as the UK heads towards a general election.
Aviva data show that 1 in 7 UK workers is home-based

domain: news


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BBVA API Market
Young, visionary start-ups often begin their ventures with high aspirations and dreams for disrupting the financial industry. With an eye to innovation and a focus on their cutting-edge tech, they may not fully appreciate the regulatory complexity they are about to face. BBVA’s Fintech University in San Francisco addressed this critical issue in a recent panel.
The panel featured experts Wally Young, Director in the Division of Financial Institution Supervision and Credit at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; William B Haraf, Special Advisor with Promontory Financial Group; and Antoinette O’Gorman, Ripple’s Chief Compliance Officer and BSA Officer.
Emerging entrepreneurs usually aren’t aware of the multi-layered, multi-faceted regulations that exist across the industry. That means they may come up against unanticipated obstacles. Or worse, these young companies may be subject to fines and penalties imposed by the regulators. Without high levels of compliance awareness and expertise, they aren’t likely to get very far, and that’s a shame if they are prevented from bring their innovative ideas to market.
The forum revealed that regulatory challenges pose a complex barrier to fintech companies seeking to change the status quo. Layers of regulation and oversight come from both federal and state governments. In some cases, a fintech company with operations across the United States might be subject to oversight by over 40 different regulatory agencies. For added complexity, insurance, bank, and investment industry regulations can vary widely. While the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency have discussed creating a regulatory “sandbox” to allow for fintech experimentation, the parameters have yet to be established.
Navigating compliance has also become more complex due to UDAAP (Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices). In the past, financial regulations were more prescriptive, detailing explicit do’s and don’ts that companies needed to follow in order to comply. With UDAAP, these iron-clad rules transformed into general principles, making them more subject to interpretation. It is now up to each company to interpret the guidance and take action, which means they must tread carefully to avoid violations.
The stakes are high. In the current environment, it is not uncommon to hear of regulatory penalties in the millions of dollars (or higher!). Even more importantly, serious and long-lasting damage can occur to a company’s reputation. Negative press coverage, drawn-out investigations, and in some cases even criminal charges can cause irreparable damage.
Savvy fintech innovators have learned to partner with banks. Established banks already have the years of experience, infrastructure, oversight, and processes to effectively manage compliance. Such a “white label” relationship, in which a start-up uses a bank’s APIs to leverage existing bank resources and capabilities, are becoming more common.
The panelists emphasized that it’s important to recognize the significance of compliance from the start, and make it a top priority. “Get some good outside advice, and start thinking about them early on, because you can easily find yourself in trouble otherwise.” said regulator Wally Young.
Compliance culture was highlighted not only by the panel, but even pointed out in the opening keynote by venture investor Ryan Gilbert. “Hire a lawyer immediately” he advised. He explained that this isn’t just necessarily to “keep you out of trouble”, but to keep you at the forefront of the changes occurring in the regulatory environment.
By devoting attention, time, and resources to these challenges, entrepreneurs will be better equipped to build their business in a secure and sustainable way.
*This article is one in a series from BBVA about the latest in fintech and banking.
You can read more here.
Businesses, from self-employed to SMEs and large companies, need financing solutions that suit their needs. Leasing is a method that can optimize the use of resources and which combines business liquidity (or lack of) with the use of assets. What is leasing and how does it work? Leasing is a financing method by which a […]
An API is a very useful mechanism that connects two pieces of software equipment to exchange messages or data in a standard format such as XML or JSON. Thus, it becomes an instrument that can be used to search for revenue, open the doors to talent or innovate and automate processes.


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The mobility sector has changed significantly over the past century. And it has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. As Industry 4.0 technologies make their debut in the automotive industry, we will definitely see some drastic transformations in the future.
Currently, the prime focus is on the blockchain.
As an efficient, transparent, and secure platform, blockchain is getting its fair share of the limelight. A 2018 study by IBM reveals that 62% of executives across the automotive industry are convinced by this emerging technology’s offerings and claim that it will soon become a disruptive force there.
This idea has launched companies in the auto sector into action. As a result, MOBI (Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative) was created. The consortium brings together major auto industry players, such as BMW, Porsche, General Motors, Honda, Ford, and Renault, with premier tech organizations, such as IBM, Accenture, Toyota AI-Ventures, Hyperledger, and ConsenSys, onto the same platform. It is specifically designed and dedicated to promoting smart mobility with the use of blockchain and related technologies. Their goal- making transportation greener, more efficient, and more affordable. MOBI is expected to have a significant impact as the different companies collaborate to merge existing concepts with newer technologies.
So how is blockchain actually going to reshape the automotive industry?
The automotive sector has always been keen to adopt creative technologies. And now, with this latest addition, there’s no end to its applications.
Moreover, you need to remember that the industry consists of a complex ecosystem of businesses, incorporating aspects such as design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, financing, and servicing. This leaves open ground for the technology to grow in every field.
Let’s take it from the top.
- Auto financing
Digital currencies are fast becoming the preferred medium of payment. Since blockchain has always been closely associated with crypto, it’s natural for the two to be interlinked. The technology is now being used by several businesses that sell and buy cars with cryptocurrency.
High-value financial transactions favor blockchain technology as it is faster and more secure. The speed of clearing financial transactions has significantly improved because there are fewer intermediaries involved.
- Additional forms of payment
Blockchain is not limited to only auto payments. Use cases are expanding to include charging or fuelling cars, in-vehicle infotainment services, tolls, and much more. Businesses are working on blockchain to support M2M (machine-to-machine) transactions.
Recently, Oaken Innovation demonstrated how this could be done through blockchain-powered technology and payments infrastructure. It illustrated how Tesla cars use smart contracts to pay tolls automatically with ethereum as they drive through blockchain-enabled toll booths.
- Authentication of parts
The blockchain network uses irreversible one-way hash functions and time-stamping, which ensure data is unalterable and traceable. This is particularly useful in the authentication of auto parts.
Blockchain offers a systematic solution against parts fraud. Distinctive IDs and immutable time-stamps can be placed on all the parts during manufacturing. This will facilitate the tracking of vehicle components from the factory floor to the automobile it is used in to its replacement during servicing.
Innogy SE is making headway in this department. It launched ‘The Digital Twin’ platform to give every automobile part a “digital twin” that will aid in authentication and provenance purposes.
- Supply chain management
The automotive industry needs a system that offers transparency to various components of the supply chain, including manufacturers, suppliers, third-party logistics and transportation companies, etc. More importantly, the data needs to be accurate and consistent.
And since blockchain is also known as a distributed, decentralized, public ledger, data is visible and accessible to everyone. Moreover, every connection in the network has the same information. In the auto industry, this is a huge advantage. There are thousands of parts involved alongside global OEMs and suppliers. So managing the huge amounts of data that is generated daily can be overwhelming. But supply chains backed by blockchain technology can help streamline processes and award contracts automatically to suppliers with the largest inventory on hand.
- Maintaining the authenticity of vehicle records
On the blockchain, information is stored in blocks that are linked to each other. Transactions are recorded in the form of hashes where every block has the hash of the previous one. That means data cannot be altered.
The fact that information remains untampered makes blockchain a secure platform for records, whether companies store car history records, ownership documents, sales invoices, or vehicle designs.
This is what CarVertical, a blockchain-backed startup, is aiming for. They realize that car owners often do not have adequate knowledge about a car’s history. Their solution- a blockchain registry that compiles data from different sources. Not only is there greater transparency about previous ownerships, but the information is also tamperproof.
Lyft and Uber have reinvented the mobility sector. The new era consists of shared vehicles and ride-sharing services. But as these services become increasingly common, preserving personal and sensitive data is more and more important.
As a secure digital platform, blockchain technology is the ideal solution for MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service). It can help guard identities, personal preferences, and settings in a protected environment.
But other startups, like Tesseract, are taking things further. Instead of simply sharing rides, people can now share ownership of automobiles. More interestingly, as P2P (peer-to-peer) car sharing takes off, it’s only a matter of time before autonomous vehicles drive into the scene. The 2017 PwC Strategy & Digital Auto Report states that car-sharing and autonomous vehicles will thrive within the next ten years.
Trends are shifting towards technological processes within the automotive industry. This is opening avenues for automation, IoT, AI, and blockchain. As technology progresses, newer concepts, ideas, and innovations will continue to emerge.
But generally speaking, the concept of a car is also changing. What was once an object of ownership has now become simply a means of transportation. With the rise in car-sharing and the incorporation of autonomous networked systems, it appears that things are going to change more than we can anticipate.
The question now is, are you ready for the next generation of cars?


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Meta (previously known as Facebook) is attempting to build the world’s fastest AI supercomputer.
The AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) will feature 16,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs and is set for completion in the middle of 2022.
The company has already started using the hardware to train large computer vision and natural language processing (NLP) models.
“The experiences we're building for the metaverse require enormous compute power (quintillions of operations / second!) and RSC will enable new AI models that can learn from trillions of examples, understand hundreds of languages, and more," said Mark Zuckerberg, chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder of the company.
Unlike Meta’s previous AI supercomputer launched in 2017, the RSC will be capable of training machine learning models on real-world data sourced from the company’s social media platforms.
Meta has been involved in AI research for more than a decade. It established the Facebook AI Research lab (FAIR) in 2013, which went on to develop tools for chatbot design, methods for making AI systems forget unnecessary information, and ‘synthetic skin’ that gives robots the sense of touch.
The lab’s most important contribution to the field is undoubtedly PyTorch, an open source deep learning framework that emerged as something of a standard and is now widely used by developers and data scientists across a variety of platforms.
Meta launched its first dedicated AI supercomputer in 2017, built with 22,000 Nvidia V100 GPUs.
The machine is being considerably outclassed by its successor, with Meta claiming RSC already delvers three times more performance in large scale NLP workflows, using less than half of its final hardware footprint.
The first phase of the project consists of 760 Nvidia DGX A100 server systems with a total of 6,080 GPUs, connected using Nvidia’s Quantum 200 Gb/s InfiniBand fabric.
The storage tier is equipped with 185PB of all-flash memory from Pure Storage, and 46PB of cache storage spread across Penguin Computing Altus servers. Training data is delivered through FAIR’s own purpose-built storage service called the AI Research Store (AIRStore).
Once the RSC is complete, the same InfiniBand fabric will connect 16,000 GPUs, making this the largest DGX A100 deployment to date. It will be served by a caching and storage system with 16 TB/s of bandwidth, and is expected to deliver nearly 5 exaflops of mixed precision compute.
“We wanted this infrastructure to be able to train models with more than a trillion parameters on data sets as large as an exabyte — which, to provide a sense of scale, is the equivalent of 36,000 years of high-quality video,” Facebook’s technical program manager Kevin Lee and software engineer Shubho Sengupta said in a post on the company’s blog.
Unlike its previous supercomputer, which leveraged only open source and publicly available data sets, Meta’s new machine will be using real-world training data obtained directly from the users of the company’s platforms.
For this reason, Meta says the RSC has been designed from the ground up with privacy and security in mind: the supercomputer is isolated from the Internet, with no direct inbound or outbound connections, and traffic can flow only from Meta’s production data centers. User data is anonymized, and the entire data path from the storage systems to the GPUs is encrypted.
“We hope RSC will help us build entirely new AI systems that can, for example, power real-time voice translations to large groups of people, each speaking a different language, so they can seamlessly collaborate on a research project or play an AR game together,” Lee and Sengupta said.
“Ultimately, the work done with RSC will pave the way toward building technologies for the next major computing platform — the metaverse, where AI-driven applications and products will play an important role.”
The authors said that the RSC will also be used to help better identify “harmful content” – Meta’s recent advances in this area include the introduction of few-shot learning (FSL) to more easily detect posts that attempt to breach its policy in new and unexpected ways.
Supply chain blues
The ongoing chip supply shortage has affected countless infrastructure projects, and the RSC was no exception.
“RSC began as a completely remote project that the team took from a simple shared document to a functioning cluster in about a year and a half,” Lee and Sengupta said.
“COVID-19 and industry-wide wafer supply constraints also brought supply chain issues that made it difficult to get everything from chips to components like optics and GPUs, and even construction materials — all of which had to be transported in accordance with new safety protocols.
“To build this cluster efficiently, we had to design it from scratch, creating many entirely new Meta-specific conventions and rethinking previous ones along the way. We had to write new rules around our data center designs — including their cooling, power, rack layout, cabling, and networking (including a completely new control plane), among other important considerations.”


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Posted on Wednesday 10 October 2012 by Ulster Business
Ms Hanadi Jabado, Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Cambridge, believes all businesses, old and new, need to keep thinking like entrepreneurs if they are to grow.
She said: "Established businesses can fall in to a pattern of running 'business as usual', or even worse, focusing on fire fighting problems, but continuing to innovate is key to ensuring a company grows."
Ms Jabado will share her insights into entrepreneurial success at next week's InterTradeIreland Innovation Lecture at Queen's. The lecture is free to attend and will take place at 6.00pm in Riddel Hall, Stranmillis Road, on Monday 15 October.
At the lecture, entitled Rejuvenate Your Business Through Entrepreneurship, Ms Jabado will address the benefits of nurturing entrepreneurial behaviour, and the associated challenges of managing entrepreneurial employees.
The lecture is part of the InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme, which is delivered in partnership with Queen's University, University College Dublin, NUI Galway and University College Cork. The programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island through a series of free innovation lectures, seminars and masterclasses held throughout the year to share international best practice in areas of innovation.
The founder of businesses in several industries, including education, online retail and property, Ms Jabado works with companies around the world, showing them how to reinvigorate their business practices through nurturing entrepreneurial flair. She performs Board reviews for a city-based consultancy, helping private companies and government and voluntary organisations maximise their effectiveness.
Queen's Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Gallagher said: "The All-Island Innovation Programme provides a great opportunity for the local business community to hear directly from a world-renowned expert in the business development. The topic of this lecture is of particular importance as local businesses urgently seek to find new and innovative ways to develop and grow."
Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policy Director at InterTradeIreland, said, "Nurturing the role of the entrepreneurial individual within existing businesses is vital to driving innovation which is critical to the future of both economies, North and South. Ms Jabado's lecture will provide useful insights for businesses on the pivotal role innovation plays in securing a company's future success."
Register online for the free event at http://go.qub.ac.uk/HanadiJabado.
For more information on the All-Island Innovation Programme go to http://www.intertradeireland.com/all-island-innovation-programme/


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Employers spent 4% more on wages and benefits last year as workers received larger pay raises in a tight labor market, rebounding economy and period of accelerating inflation, marking an increase not seen since 2001.
The U.S. employment-cost index—a quarterly measure of wages and benefits paid by employers—showed that costs continued to rise at the highest rate in two decades. The fourth-quarter gain, compared with a year ago, was 4% on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department said Friday.
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Accor will launch its 200th Australian hotel next month, following the rebranding of the Radisson Resort Gold Coast to become a Mercure.
Mercure Gold Coast Resort will officially launch on 18 December 2012, achieving the company’s 200-hotel landmark 21 years after launching its first hotel in Australia. Accor is now Australia’s largest hotel group, with hotels in every state and territory.
Accor Pacific’s Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath, said the Mercure Gold Coast Resort was a fitting hotel to mark such a milestone for the group.
“For Accor it is a very strategic new addition to the network, both because it represents a significant landmark for Accor’s expansion in Australia, and also because it adds to the group’s portfolio in the Gold Coast,” McGrath said. “The addition of the Mercure Resort will allow us to cater for growing demand in the mid-market, especially for conferences, events and groups.”
The resort is located in the Gold Coast’s ‘green belt’, 20 minutes’ drive from Gold Coast airport and less than an hour from Brisbane. It features a range of leisure facilities including a spa, driving range, two outdoor pools, four floodlit tennis courts and a gymnasium, and is also affiliated with five championship golf courses. The resort can also cater to the events market, with 10 conference and three outdoor venues holding up to 700 delegates.


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Transcend Corporate advises on sale of Dor-O-Matic™ and Martin Roberts™, the leading UK door businesses, for Allegion
The Industrial Products & Services team at Transcend Corporate, the Birmingham, Thames Valley, and Bristol based corporate finance boutique, is pleased to announce its role in advising Allegion on the sale of its UK doors businesses to an affiliate of Alcyon Financial Limited, a financial investment firm. The transaction was led by Ian Aldridge and completed on 1 September 2014.
Transcend Corporate originated the deal by introducing Alcyon to Allegion as part of a broad marketing of the opportunity.
Philip Lammas, Managing Director of Alcyon Financial, stated that: “the acquisition transitions the doors businesses to a standalone and dynamic entity, allowing it to sharpen its focus on identifying exciting opportunities for development.”
Ian Aldridge, Director at Transcend Corporate, said: “Transcend Corporate is delighted to have supported Allegion on this project. The doors businesses include some of the most high profile brands in the UK and comprise:
Dor-O-Matic™, the automatic doors business whose customers include Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Primark, and Aldi; Martin Roberts™ the branded performance doorset business whose products can be found in prestigious buildings such as One Hyde Park, the ‘Cheesegrater’, and the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building, as well as Terminal 5 at Heathrow; and a planned and reactive maintenance business operating across the UK.”
The new business, which will trade as ‘High Performance Doors’, looks set to have an exciting future driven by the strength of its brands, the excellent management team, and a committed and skilled workforce.
The team at Transcend Corporate is delighted to have supported Allegion on this project.


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In order to stem the growing deficit and potentially create a more accurate cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) calculation, many congressional representatives have promoted use of the so-called “chained” consumer price index (CPI).
Unlike the current CPI, the chained CPI accounts not only for price increases, but also for the substitutions consumers make based on those increases.
“For example, if beef prices are increasing, the chained CPI assumes that to some extent, consumers will switch to chicken and use comparable goods to stave off increases,” said James Osborne, president of Bason Asset Management. “The end result is that there would be a smaller COLA due to a lower calculated rate of inflation.”
Of course, a consistently lower COLA would lead to lower annual increases in Social Security benefits, and the AARP is lobbying to prevent the change. In a letter to the Ways and Means Committee, the organization stated that “Despite claims to the contrary, the chained CPI is not a more accurate measure of inflation, especially for Social Security COLAs. In fact, it is even less accurate than the current formula.”
Even the current COLA calculation, which is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, doesn’t accurately reflect the needs and spending habits of retirees, the long-term disabled and other Social Security recipients, according to AARP. While the prices of food and other common consumer goods are roughly in line with inflation, health care and long-term care costs have risen far faster, and seem to be rising still.
While some proponents of the chained CPI argue that it is a more accurate means of gauging inflation, cutting the deficit seems to be Congress’ primary incentive for the change. “If you’re Congress, the purpose of switching to the chained CPI is explicitly to slow the growth of benefits,” said Osborne. “It’s not really an issue of accuracy, it’s a budgetary move.”
Despite the AARP backlash, the chained CPI may also be one of the most politically feasible measures for entitlement-related spending cuts. “If Congress is looking for long-term ways to reduce benefit outlays, this is a politically easy thing to do, in part because nobody understands it, and in part because it’s a long-term game,” Osborne said. Though 87% of AARP poll respondents said that Social Security benefits should not be reduced, the gradual effects of a CPI change will likely garner less outcry than a retirement age increase or additional taxes on benefits.
As the AARP was quick to point to out, the chained CPI would most negatively affect long-term Social Security recipients. “Although many have attempted to characterize the chained CPI as a minor tweak, it is in fact a significant benefit cut that snowballs over time,” AARP stated in its letter. A recipient who started collecting $1,100 per month at age 65, a 0.3% annual cut in the COLA would lead to $56 monthly reduction at age 80 — a significant amount for a family depending on the program for most or all of their retirement income, according to AARP.
Osborne agreed, saying “It’s definitely going to be a compounding, exponential change. Nobody is going to tell the difference between a 2% and a 1.7% COLA in a year or two, but if you compound those numbers out over 20 years, it does become more substantial.” While the chained CPI may not affect those already late in retirement, it could significantly affect the degree to which soon-to-be retirees can depend on Social Security.


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Google has made and will make a number of changes to address EU antitrust regulatorsâ concerns that it unfairly promoted its shopping service and hindered rivals of its Android smartphone operating system, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
âWeâve always agreed that healthy, thriving markets are in everyoneâs interest. Weâve already made a wide range of changes to our products to address the Commissionâs concerns,â Kent Walker, senior vice-president of global affairs, said in a statement.
âOver the next few months, weâll be making further updates to give more visibility to rivals in Europe,â he continued.
He did not comment specifically on the European Commissionâs 1.49-billion-euro (USD 1.7 billion) fine handed down earlier on Wednesday for blocking rival online advertisers.


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The Xbox 720's features will be interesting once the console is revealed, but EA says this system needs to be more about its design and what it can offer consumers in addition to gaming.
According to a report from GamesIndustry on Friday, EA executive vice president of digital Kristian Segerstrale said since the next-generation of consoles are still in the development stage, people will not be able to fully see what works and what doesn't for a few years.
"We are at such an early stage of this that some of the things you are seeing now are literally an application of what we know and had before in new and interesting ways.
"I believe personally that the really big shift will come as we shift the mindset of design, such that we design from the ground up for that. One or two years from now is really when you will see the results of what's going on right now," Segerstrale said.
Segerstrale further explained, saying what he believes the next round of consoles will need to offer gamers in the way of services.
"Almost any device comes with a billing mechanism, a connectivity mechanism, a policy on updates, and all those things that makes it more than just a piece of hardware.
"The consumer can't be happy if on your specific hardware updates come out slower, or the experience isn't updated as quickly as on some other platform.
"I think that's where all of us have work to do; we have work to do to learn as a publisher to deal with that environment better and to be faster and to be better across the board.
"Ecosystems also have an evolution to go through. I think most of the time there's a fairly deep understanding that this is going to be looked at moving forward, and I'm really pretty optimistic on that," Segerstrale said.
What do you think is most crucial that next-generation consoles offer gamers?


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Sales soar for Northern Irish grocery market
The latest figures from Kantar show that grocery sales in Northern Ireland reached unprecedented highs in 2020 as Lidl crowned best performing retailer
In the 52 weeks to June 14, 2020 the Northern Ireland grocery market experienced growth of 5.7 per cent.
Kantar reports that Lidl remained the best performing retailer – increasing its sales by 10 per cent year-on-year.
“Lidl customers have been doing larger shops, picking up extra items each visit to store, and choosing more premium and branded items when they are there,” said Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar.
Tesco – Northern Ireland’s largest retailer – grew its sales by 6.3 per cent driven by larger basket size as well as an average price increase of 1.6 per cent.
Sales also increased at Sainsbury’s and Asda as shoppers increased their trolley spend during lockdown.
Sainsbury’s customers added an extra £1.75 per trolley but Asda shoppers increased their spend by an average 12.1 per cent equalling £3.25 per shop.
In terms of category spend, sales of household cleaning products continued to rise as shoppers remain cautious of the virus.
“Consumers are still being conscious of health and hygiene. Sales of household cleaners have risen by 14.9 per cent and liquid soap by 57.6 per cent in the 52 weeks to 14 June. The recent good weather and the easing of restrictions that allowed people to meet others outside of their household, has seen them spend an extra £40.5 million on alcohol, £7.9 million on soft drinks and £3.4 million on savoury snacks,” continued Emer.


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Vicor's power mogul
In a competitive business, this Andover company stands out
Sure, Patrizio Vinciarelli is happy about the success at Vicor Corp. last year. Sales of his Andover company’s fastest-growing product — power systems for sophisticated electronics — doubled.
But he’s hardly satisfied. With an entrepreneur’s impatience, he said, “It’s unfortunate we’ve only been able to build a $250 million business up to now. Because the opportunity is a lot larger than that.’’
Vinciarelli, 64, has been at this since 1981, when he founded Vicor. A native of Rome with a doctorate in physics, he embraces the notion that in this arena, change and adaptation are mandatory. The business of selling power systems for sophisticated computer, aerospace, and defense electronics is highly fractured, he said, with no single company controlling more than a few percent of the multibillion-dollar market.
Vicor’s time seems to have come, with its so-called V.I Chip product — about the size of a small square of chocolate — which doubled in sales not only last year, but the year before as well. The product helped push overall company sales up 27 percent in 2010, while Vicor’s net income surged tenfold, to $33.3 million.
“With the V.I chip, we are on a double path that could be going on for quite some time,’’ said Vinciarelli.
Vicor’s nearby plant in North Andover whirs with activity, producing 10,000 to 12,000 of these chips a day. It’s a highly automated process, with rows of large machines that move printed circuit boards over conveyors, positioning parts, gluing, curing, and robotically finishing and testing. There are about 150 employees working on the product, and a total of 1,080 companywide. Most of the jobs are in Massachusetts, with a couple of hundred around the country and overseas.
It’s a business in which it’s hard to be distinctive. For the most part, power-system makers compete on speed and price, sometimes in a cutthroat, self-destructive way, said Vernon Essi, a semiconductor analyst at Needham & Co. “Power management is still very fragmented,’’ Essi said.
Data centers, large computing companies, and electronics makers are among the sectors where Vicor competes for business. The company aims to help engineers build better products with more electrical power and efficiency, while generating less heat and taking up less space.
“You can’t be in the market unless you’re capable of innovating,’’ Vinciarelli said. And ultimately those innovations result in lower costs, he said.
As chairman and chief executive of Vicor, Vinciarelli controls 81 percent of its voting shares. The company’s shares rose 76 percent last year, to $16.40. Vicor was the top-performing industrial company, and the fifth-best performing company overall, on this year’s Globe 100 list.
Beth Healy can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Puma AG's latest venture into celebrity territory is the Luke Wilson and Johan Edfors Special Edition Golf Collection for men and women, inspired and endorsed by the actor and pro golfer.
The concept "goes back to our sport lifestyle mantra," said Robert Philion, International Business Unit manager for Puma Golf. Wilson and Edfors embody the Puma ideology of fusing athleticism with aestheticism, evincing their signature, easy styles as part of an active lifestyle, Philion said.
With this collection, Puma hopes to add luster to its expanding golf line, launched in March 2006. The spring-summer 2008 line offers slick jacquard cuffed shorts, fitted blazers and piqué polos, and accessories that incorporate technology such as Smart Quill traction control on golf shoes.
The special edition line for men and women wholesales at prices that range from $65 to $140 for apparel and $65 to $250 for bags and shoes. Streamlined Fifties silhouettes pop with bold metallics, Op Art prints and dashes of color.
"The designers felt [the Fifties] was a really iconic era in sport, golf and fashion, and we've taken vintage looks and updated them with contemporary details," Philion said.
The line's confident colors and hint of flash is attributable to Wilson and Edfors themselves, who provided creative input throughout the collection's development.
Cheeky abstract prints in pistachio green and jet black line structured cotton blazers with contrast pocket detailing, and are paired with fitted polos in sumptuous silk jersey. Novelty knits in merino wool can dress up the collection's swingy black skort or sharp high-waisted pants, while silver golf shoes and metallic weekender bags lend a youthful flair.
"In this special edition collection, you can easily see the chrome inspiration," Philion noted. "Put a bit of bling in your swing is what we say."
With Puma is still in talks with retailers at press time, the company has confirmed that California-based Lady Golf and Olympic Golf will be selling the line, along with the Edwin Watts Gold Shop in Orlando, Fla., and Golfdom in Pennsylvania's King of Prussia Mall.
Puma declined to give first-year sales projections. The decision to limit the number of retailers offering the line to 20 to 25 was key to Puma Golf's growth strategy as a brand, Philion said."By being extremely limited and selective, we hope to drive desirability," he said. "We are not in this to be the biggest company, but the most desirable."
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews


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Leahy’s £5.2m windfall after a bumper year for Tesco
Britain’s most influential retailer Sir Terry Leahy took home a chunky £5.2million last year following a bumper year at supermarket giant Tesco.
His army of 216,000 checkout operators and shelf stackers also shared £105million in a share windfall.
This bonus works out at an average value of £486 per worker.
Bumper bonus: Chief executive Terry Leahy and Tesco enjoyed a successful year
But it was Leahy, Tesco’s chief executive since 1997, who was the big winner after helping deliver a 10 per cent rise in profits to £3.5billion for the year to February.
The firm’s annual report shows his pay and bonus package rose from £5.1million to £5.2million. This comprised a basic salary of £1.3million, with the remainder in
benefits and bonuses.
He also sold shares worth £8.3million during the year. The Liverpudlian has also amassed a £15million pension pot.
Tesco controls nearly a third of Britain’s grocery market.
It has fought stiff competition from Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons over the year with promotions and discount ranges for hard-up shoppers.
Chairman David Reid said: ‘We’ve had Tesco’s best ever year in a really challenging
economic climate and that success is down to the hard work and skill of the whole
Eight executive directors shared pay and bonuses of £24million, with each of them earning more than £1.5million each.
Tim Mason, the executive dispatched to America to set up its Fresh and Easy chain, was the next best paid after Leahy. His package rose from £3.7million to £4.2million.
Tesco’s shares, which have climbed 15 per cent over the last 12 months, rose 1.95p to close at 412p. Finance director Andy Halford was paid £1.7million and European boss Michel Combes took home £1.8million.
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DENVER (CBS4) – Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2012, the cannabis industry has become a very profitable endeavor for everyone involved. Getting a share of these profits is not easy, however.
Shanda Lacompt knows how hard it is. She has just started her delivery service, Canna Couriers.
“It’s a lot to get into the cannabis industry,” she says. “The fees, the applications, there’s a lot.”
As with many women and people of color, there were many financial and bureaucratic barriers that prevented them from starting their business. Fortunately, she had help from the Denver City Marijuana Social Equity program.
It is a program designed to help women and people of color disproportionately affected by the war on drugs break down barriers to entry that could prevent them from starting their own cannabis business. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock says that when women and people of color succeed, Denver does too.
“We need to turn our faces to women and minority companies and create opportunities that allow them to enter the market,” he says.
On Saturday, the city hosted a resource fair to answer questions from budding entrepreneurs and hopefully inspire people to get involved in the cannabis industry.
“As the industry continues to grow and spread across the country, it’s very important that we find a way to level the playing field,” says Hancock.
Jarell Wall owns Gentleman Quinns, a Denver cannabis company. He agrees that the industry needs more people of color and women, but also believes that the marijuana industry has a great need to support these new businesses that the city is co-founding.
“It really is the will of the industry itself to make sure that we all come together,” says Wall.
Shanda knows that from experience. She says that in order to be successful, she needs established partners in the industry. So far, many pharmacies do not offer delivery and therefore do not need Shanda’s services. She hopes the pharmacies will soon help her make her cannabis dreams come true.
“We have to get pharmacies to jump on board,” she says.
If you want to learn more about the City of Denver’s Marijuana Social Equity Program, you can visit their website.


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For years now, there’s been a lot of talk from politicians about the need to make the Cayman Islands a high-end tourism destination.
Indeed, most industry experts agree Cayman’s future in the Caribbean tourism market lies in upper-end tourism, not with mass tourism. With the real prospects of Cuba opening up to American tourists just to the north, coupled with mass tourism markets in Jamaica to the east and Mexico to the west, Cayman will find itself virtually surrounded by destinations with which it cannot compete – as least as far as the budget-minded tourist is concerned.
Given the higher costs of goods and services here and Cayman’s small size, the only logical way to go forward is through high-end tourism. But while everyone talks about the need to do this, there seems to be little beyond talk to actually make it happen.
During the current government administration, which has launched the much ballyhooed Go East initiative, we’ve heard about three potential luxury products in the eastern districts. Two are condotel-type projects, one in Beach Bay and another in Colliers, and one is the boutique Mandarin Oriental hotel along the Queen’s Highway.
The Mandarin is a well-known luxury brand that, in addition to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, could reinforce the idea of the Cayman Islands as a high-end tourism destination. The developers of the proposed Island Resorts and Residences in Colliers have also said they intend to bring in a high-end brand name to manage their five-star luxury project.
Although there is no public indication that the government stifled these projects, there is also no public indication that the government did anything to really support the developments either. At the same time, the government has put a lot of effort into supporting the port redevelopment project because of the expressed need to protect the cruise tourism industry.
We live in challenging financial times where the competition for tourist dollars in the region is expanding. It’s no longer good enough just to pay lip service to developers who have the abilities to help the Cayman Islands realise its goal of becoming a high-end tourism destination.
The fact that Mike Ryan fought so long and so hard to make the Ritz a reality here is a testament to his fortitude. But times are changing and it’s doubtful other developers are going to be as patient and preserving as Mr. Ryan. There are, after all, other places in the world to build luxury hotels. Cayman’s advantages of good infrastructure, political stability and low crime rates can only take us so far.
If the Cayman Islands is serious about luring luxury developments, it will need to be much more proactive about it going into the future.


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Tammera R. Diehm Quoted in Twin Cities Business Pro Bono Article
Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.
, attorney and pro bono advocate Tammera R. Diehm
is featured in an article in Twin Cities Business
. The article, which appeared in the February 2008 edition of the magazine, focuses on pro bono work conducted by local Twin Cities law firms, including Winthrop & Weinstine. “We have attorneys, including myself, who participate in the legal clinics that they [LegalCorps] have,” Tami Diehm said (Qtd. in Swedberg).
The article was originally published in Twin Cities Business
, but was featured in an April 2008 publication of Pro Bono Institute’s The Pro Bono Wire
, which you can find here
Swedberg, Jamie. "Pro Business: Pro bono work by local law firms helps both small business and nonprofit organizations." Twin Cities Business Feb. 2008: 99-104. Print.


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Late last year, Google announced the deprecation of its Google Earth API. The initial cutoff date for API access was December 12, 2015. As the impending date moves closer, Google reported that it will extend the cutoff date until at least the end of this calendar year. No exact date was given.
For snap-happy smartphone and tablet users, having somewhere to store their treasured pics is probably very appealing. Photo books have been a trendy favourite for a while now, and Printzel is an app-powered platform that allows users to create their own printed photo books directly from their mobile and tablet devices. The company also provides the Printzel API that now makes it possible for developers to offer printed books from their own applications.


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Tagged: javier bardem
There were thousands of movies, but we decided to take it easy. No rules applied. Just good old fashion voting for your favorite villain regardless of original medium.
Unlike last week, this week is chock-full of geeky news this time, including Tom Hiddleston being his ridiculously charming self.
A 30-second teaser trailer for Skyfall aired on TV during the Olympics’ opening ceremony.
A teaser trailer for Skyfall, the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise, has been unleashed.


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After an early session pop the market spent the rest of the waiting mired in low-volume chop as investors exercised caution ahead of pending inflation data. Expect more of the same hurry-up-and-wait price action today with very little on the earnings and economic calendars to inspire the bulls or bears. Plan for all the chop to change quickly depending on the reaction to the before-the-bell release of the CPI. We can not rule out a substantial gap up or down in reaction to the data so plan your risk carefully today.
While we slept Asian markets closed mixed with the NIKKEI leading the buying up .95% with Hong Kong and Shanghai selling off modestly. European markets trade mostly lower with modest losses this morning as they wait on inflation data. U.S. futures suggest a modestly lower open this morning facing another light day of data to inspire with the CPI report pending Wednesday morning.
We have no notable earnings reports for this Tuesday. Those that are reporting are very small cap and low volume names.
News & Technicals’
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned on Monday that the U.S. economy, which is currently doing well, could face significant challenges in the future. He said that it would be a “huge mistake” to assume that the current consumer strength would translate into a booming environment for years. He cited several factors that could derail the economic recovery, such as the central banks tightening their monetary policies, the escalating war in Ukraine, and the excessive spending by governments around the world. He said that these factors could create uncertainty, volatility, and inflation, which could hurt the business and consumer confidence. He urged the policymakers to act responsibly and prudently to avoid a potential crisis. “To say the consumer is strong today, meaning you are going to have a booming environment for years, is a huge mistake,” Dimon said.
Oracle, the software giant, reported disappointing results for the fiscal first quarter, missing analysts’ expectations on license and hardware revenue. The company’s total revenue rose by 4% year-over-year to $9.73 billion, but fell short of the consensus estimate of $9.77 billion. The license revenue, which reflects the sales of new software products, declined by 8% to $813 million, while the hardware revenue, which includes the sales of servers and storage devices, dropped by 6% to $763 million. The company also issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the second quarter, projecting a revenue growth of 3% to 5%, below the analysts’ forecast of 5.3%. The company’s shares fell by more than 2% in after-hours trading following the earnings release.
Despite the disappointing results, Oracle highlighted its achievements and innovations in the quarter, such as launching new database hardware and artificial intelligence software features. The company unveiled the Oracle Database 23c, which it claimed to be the world’s first database with built-in machine-learning capabilities. The company also introduced the Oracle Exadata X9M, a new generation of database hardware that delivers up to 25 times faster performance than previous versions. The company said that these products would help it compete with rivals such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in the cloud computing market. “We are confident that our cloud strategy and strong product portfolio will continue to drive our growth and profitability in the future,” said Safra Catz, Oracle’s CEO.
We kicked off a new week of trading with an early session surge that quickly faded with the remainder of the day mired in a low volume as traders ponder the pending CPI number out Wednesday morning. TSLA was a bright shiny spot in the tech sector surging 10% after receiving an upgrade. Unfortunately, we have another day to wait with little to nothing on earnings and the economic calendar to inspire. One distraction could be the AAPL product release show that can at times provide some bullish or bearish action in tech gient. Plan your risk carefully today because the release of the CPI number before the bell tomorrow could create a big market gap up or down depending on investor reaction.


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New research has found that UK small businesses are now more optimistic than they were before the coronavirus pandemic.
As lockdown restrictions continue to ease across the UK, research from Barclaycard Payments has found that small businesses are predicting a 9.8% rise in revenue this quarter compared to Q1 2021.
The survey, which polled over 670 senior staff working in UK SMEs, shows that business sentiment is starting to look more positive, at 110 points out of a possible 200. This is up from a low of 79 points in Q2 2020, and means that small firms are back to the same pre-pandemic sentiment levels last seen in February 2020.
Another positive indicator is that 85% of small businesses say they are planning to invest over the next 12 months - in people, new equipment or technology and by ramping up their marketing. Almost half (47%) say they expect to increase their staff over the next year.
The rise in optimism is especially high in hospitality and leisure as businesses reopen after the long third lockdown. The findings show that hospitality and leisure SMEs anticipate revenue rises of 21% as restrictions continue to be eased. Looking ahead, small firms are forecasting an 18% increase in revenues a year from now, with the hospitality and leisure sector expecting a 42% boost. Many SMEs have an optimistic (33%) or neutral (40%) outlook for the UK economy; but that increases to 51% optimistic and 36% neutral about the prospects for their own businesses.
Despite signs of optimism, potential challenges remain for the coming months:
- 37% of businesses polled expect customers to hold back their spending until 21 June;
- 33% worry that people now prefer to socialise and eat at home;
- 34% are concerned that customers will tire of social distancing measures.
Even so, the results of the poll show that hospitality and leisure SMEs are prepared for returning customers, with the majority having invested in hand sanitiser, signs to remind customers about social distancing rules and PPE for staff. They are also looking at ways to boost revenues including increasing prices (21%) and improving outdoor spaces (16%).
Rob Cameron, ceo of Barclaycard Payments, said: "With the confidence to plan ahead, small businesses have turned their attention to bulking up their workforce, as well as investing in technology and marketing. We're looking forward to seeing this confidence translate into sales."
Written by Rachel Miller.


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3 5G May Be Disastrous for Battery Life
You may not have noticed it at the time — or you may have forgotten — but when the first LTE devices started rolling out, our collective battery life took a major hit. Consumers had to wait for carrier and OEM updates to get battery life back to relatively acceptable levels.
When it comes to 5G, we just don’t know how much of a battery-killer 5G it could be. Even 5G proponents at Qualcomm say it’s “too early” to talk about battery life issues and that additional testing is needed. It may be speculation at this point, but 5G-enabled smartphones could take a huge step backward in terms of battery life.


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Australia Services Activity Logs Fastest Growth In A Year; Retail Sales Rise
Australia’s services activity grew the most in a year in April and growth in retail sales doubled in March driven by the combined growth in the food-related spending, separate data showed Wednesday.
The Judo Bank Australia services Purchasing Managers’ Index rose sharply to 53.7 in April from 48.6 in March, survey data from S&P Global revealed. A score above the neutral 50.0 indicates expansion.
The rate of services activity growth was the fastest in a year and also above the seven-year survey average. The latest expansion was led by consumer services. Four in five sectors registered growth in April.
Data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that retail sales grew 0.4 percent in March from February when turnover was up 0.2 percent.
Food retailing advanced 1.0 percent and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services grew 1.5 percent.
“Businesses in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services are passing on their rising costs to consumers through price rises, while also benefiting from strong demand driven by the continued return of large-scale cultural and sporting events,” ABS head of retail statistics Ben Dorber said.
On a yearly basis, retail sales increased 5.4 percent in March, which was weaker than the 6.4 percent gain in February.
New business in services increased in April but it was weaker than the long-run survey average, PMI survey showed. New export business grew more sharply than total new work, driven in part by higher tourism.
At the same time, outstanding business decreased for the tenth consecutive month though the rate of decline was the slowest in 2023 so far.
Employment in the service sector increased for the twentieth straight month and at the fastest pace since June 2022.
Although firms expect higher activity over the coming year, confidence among service providers remained the lowest in the survey history. Companies cited higher interest rates, rising living cost and skill shortages are reasons for weaker outlook.
On the price front, the survey showed that input price inflation slowed to an 18-month low but stayed above the long-run survey average. Meanwhile, the overall rate of charge inflation was the joint second-weakest in over two years.
“All activity indicators confirm the shift in Australia’s economic momentum adding weight to the conclusion that the overall economic slowdown appears to be over,” Warren Hogan, Chief Economic Advisor at Judo Bank said.
The composite output index that combines manufacturing and services PMIs advanced to 53.0 in April from 48.5 in March. The score indicated the fastest growth in the private sector in a year.
Source: Read Full Article


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Morgan Stanley Undercuts Rivals With Robo
Targeting younger investors, Morgan Stanley has launched its online platform, Access Investing, with an annual fee below that of wirehouse rivals.
SIFMA, Others to Regulators: No New Cybersecurity Rules Needed
“(T)he volume of regulations ... are sometimes overlapping, duplicative and conflicting,” says SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth Bentsen.
How to Be a Marketing Fiduciary in 3 Areas of Your Practice
The way an advisor markets his firm can touch every aspect of his business, leaving clients and prospects alike feeling either valued or not.
Morningstar Unveils Cloud Platform Integrating Client Data and Research
The new software, announced at Schwab Impact, has been in beta for the past few months and will be rolled out in the first quarter.
What 6 Top BD Insiders Divulge About Fintech Trends
Six BD leaders gave Investment Advisor their take on the year’s biggest fintech news, their thoughts on what's to come and their favorite tech tools.
Carson, Duran, Kitces on the Biggest Tech Stories of 2017 (and Beyond)
Six industry leaders gave Investment Advisor their take on the year’s biggest fintech news, their thoughts on what's to come and their favorite tech tools.
Wealthy Families, Target of Cybercrime, Lack Proper Defenses, Report Shows
Many families fail to audit their publicly available information, shows global report by Campden Wealth and Schillings.
UBS Exits Protocol, Creating ‘New World’ for Advisors, Clients
The departure will impact reps and clients, says Danny Sarch, though Mark Elzweig sees things differently.
Opening Up on Fintech
Leaders sound off on the latest technology, Equifax breach and more.
PayPal Enters the Robo-Advisory Business
The electronics payment firm has announced a new partnership with Acorns, the micro robo-advisory firm.


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Homebuilding gets increasingly expensive
LOS ANGELES — Even in the hottest U.S. housing market in more than a decade, new home construction has turned into a frustratingly uncertain and costly proposition for many homebuilders.
Rising costs and shortages of building materials and labor are rippling across the homebuilding industry, which accounted for nearly 12% of all U.S. home sales in July. Construction delays are common, prompting many builders to pump the brakes on the number of new homes they put up for sale. As building a new home gets more expensive, some of those costs are passed along to buyers.
Across the economy, prices having spiked this year amid shortages of manufactured goods and components, from cars and computer chips to paint and building materials. The Federal Reserve meets this week and officials’ outlook on when they might start raising interest rates could indicate how worried the Fed is about inflation.
The constraints on homebuilders are unwelcome news for homebuyers, already facing historically low levels of resale homes on the market and record prices. Economists worry many first-time homebuyers are getting priced out of the market. The erosion in affordability is one reason the pace of home sales has been easing in recent months.
The pandemic set the stage for higher prices and shortages of construction products. Factories went idle temporarily and are now trying to catch up on production at the same time that demand has intensified.
Lumber futures jumped to an all-time high $1,670 per thousand board feet in May. They’ve since dropped to $634, about 10% higher than a year ago.
Those conditions are likely to persist. Robert Dietz, chief economist at the NAHB, said he’s heard from builders that “there are ongoing challenges, and in some cases growing challenges, with flooring, other kinds of building materials.”


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Displaying items 13-24 of 205 » View courant.com items only< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-18 Next >
Kiplinger's Money PowerHow you re-enter the stock market matters, especially if you've taken a hiatus. Even if you're anxious to get back in the game, you'll want to buy into stocks gradually. Investing a set amount periodically, a strategy called dollar-cost averaging, helps...
Tags: Mutual Funds, T. Rowe Price, Finance, Banking
Students at Youth's Benefit Elementary School in Fallston received a big surprise Thursday morning when they learned their school was the grand prize winner of $25,000 in the Scott Shared Values Box Tops for Education Sweepstakes. Scott Brand and...
Arianna HuffingtonOn Tuesday I guest-hosted CNBC's "Squawk Box," a program that bills itself as the show that "brings Wall Street to Main Street." As well as discussing Cyprus and a possible euro-crisis, we discussed the growing trend in corporate America of taking steps...
Minnesota could become the next battleground in the fight over mandatory labels for genetically modified food. Bills were introduced on Feb. 28 in the Minnesota Legislature that would require food manufacturers to label their products to indicate...
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is back. Five and a half years after the start of a frightening drop that erased $11 trillion from stock portfolios and made investors despair of ever getting their money back, the Dow Jones industrial average...
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — If you don't have time to sit down for a bowl of cereal in the morning, companies are hoping you'll want to drink your breakfast. As companies struggle to grow cereal sales in the U.S., Kellogg and General Mills are...
Tags: Quakerism, Indra K. Nooyi, PepsiCo Inc.
Chain restaurants have been nudged and cajoled for years to ditch mammoth portion sizes and high-calorie choices. But perhaps the best motivation to lower-calorie, more healthful menu items is here: profit. A report released Thursday calls lower-calorie...
As a careful shopper, you try to get the most for your money. So, once you get home and open canned foods, it can be disappointing to find lots of liquid. Consumer Reports has a lot of complaints about this issue. Supermarkets have shelf after shelf...
(MCT) - When ConAgra ponied up about $5 billion for St. Louis-based Ralcorp recently, the Omaha-based conglomerate did something that food companies have been doing for a while: It got a lot bigger. ConAgra Foods Inc., which produces some 60 brand...
INDIANAPOLIS - Corporate and individual contributions to the National FFA Foundation in 2012 to support national FFA programs and agricultural education climbed to more than $16.2 million. Corporate support this year exceeded the $15.8 million donated...
Tribune staff reporterOn a warm September day in Chicago, Rishad Tobaccowala counseled a roomful of Leo Burnett executives on how to sell high-tech gadgets -- told in terms of hot dogs. Tobaccowala, who has spent 30 years at Leo Burnett and affiliated agencies,...
Same-sex marriage advocates are reveling in their four victories at the ballot box after 32 straight defeats, calling the results in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington on Tuesday a sea change for the gay rights movement. “When the history...
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Jan 28, 2013 |Story| WSBT-TV
Jan 25, 2013 |Story| Aberdeen News
Dec 14, 2012 |Story| Aberdeen News
Nov 12, 2012 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Nov 7, 2012 |Story| Los Angeles Times
Original site for General Mills Incorporated topic gallery.


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Worldwide there are approximately 3,000 merchant ports and the work of the Harbour Master can vary widely from country to country and from port to port even within the same country.
Following a strong start to CLdN’s* weekly Con-Ro service from Cork to Zeebrugge, the shipping line announced a second call to accommodate demand. This second direct service from Cork to the EU commenced on 7 January offering more flexibility to Irish customers, ensuring supply chains are maintained.
Considering Brexit and combined with the modal shift from accompanied to unaccompanied shipping, having a second direct link between Cork and Zeebrugge will bypass the UK Landbridge. For importers and exporters this means avoiding unnecessary border checks thus ensuring cargo flows more effectively and in a cost-efficient manner from Ireland direct to the continent.
According to CLdN, over the last months, there has been steady growth in customer demand for reliable, low cost and Brexit-proof unaccompanied freight products. Shipping unaccompanied trailers, (tank) containers, finished vehicles or project cargo between its own ferry terminals provides a one stop shop for customers to get goods shipped across the North Sea without running the risk of disruption.
A spokesperson for the Port of Cork said: ‘Recently we have seen the spotlight on ro-ro freight since Brexit came into force, however CLdN have seen a shift to unaccompanied freight, which is clearly popular among logistic companies and advantageous. The benefits of unaccompanied freight can bring a reduction in costs, greener freight movements as minimising the amount of time your drivers are on the road and greater flexibility depending on the type of cargo being shipped.’
A spokesperson from CLdN added: ‘As we have shown and continue to deliver, we will deploy larger vessels or add more frequency to match demand to and from Ireland and will react immediately the market signals a requirement, as we see the Irish market as a core route in our portfolio.’
The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), supported by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, has launched comprehensive guidance for anyone working in search and rescue, on how to ensure that SAR operations can continue safely in the face of challenges posed not only by COVID-19, but also by any future health emergencies.
The Pandemic Response Guidance will support SAR providers in improving their level of preparedness for any forthcoming pandemics and enhances initial materials produced by IMRF members in early 2020, in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance has been peer reviewed by IMRF members around the world and is free to download from the IMRF website, see here: https://www.international-maritime-rescue.org/news/pandemic-response-guidance-for-maritime-search-and-rescue-organisations-covid?utm_campaign=IMRF%20launches%20Pandemic%20Response%20Guidance%20for%20Maritime%20SAR%20Organisations&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_content=&utm_medium=email
Theresa Crossley, CEO, IMRF commented: ‘This guidance brings together all the knowledge and experience of our international membership. It’s been developed specifically for the challenges faced in the current global pandemic, but designed in such a way, that it can be used as a basis for operational planning and response in any future pandemics or major health emergencies. All around the world, our members report that their search and rescue services are needed as much as ever. Yet operating conditions are far more challenging and SAR teams face unprecedented new risks.
Green financing concluded for six large container ships on order
Hapag-Lloyd reported in recent weeks that it is breaking new ground in financing by concluding two debut transactions according to the Green Loan Principles of the Loan Market Association (LMA). This has also been verified by an independent expert in the form of a secondary party opinion of the DNV GL.
Both transactions are associated with the financing of six ultra-large 23,500 TEU container ships, which were ordered in December 2020.
The syndicated green loan in the amount of US$ 417 million has a 12-year maturity and will be used to finance three of the six container ships on order. The credit facility is being backed by the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE), and the syndicate consists of eleven banks. KfW IPEX-Bank and BNP Paribas were in charge of structuring and coordinating the transaction.


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A notice on the PS Store has alerted PS3 users that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled will no longer be made available in the US come June 30.
According to a statement given to Joystiq by the game’s publisher, Ubisoft, it is being pulled due to an expired license.
If you were planning on playing it but never got around to it, you only have a few days left, so hop to it.
The TMNT: Turtles in Time revamp was “re-shelled” for PS3 and Xbox 360 and announced way back in January 2009.
It was released the following June on XBL followed by its PSN release.


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SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The identity of a white man believed to be about 25 to 30-years-old has not yet been confirmed by the Medical Examiner's Office, more than a day after he was found dead in a freeway in Old Town, according to authorities.
"His body was found lying on traffic lanes of southbound I-5 and he was subsequently struck by vehicles," a news release by the Medical Examiner's Office said. "His death was confirmed by first responders."
The time of death was 3:24 a.m. Sunday, but a cause of death was not listed. Investigators had not yet determined if the victim was lying in traffic, was walking in traffic or had fallen or jumped from the Interstate 8 bridge nearby before being hit by vehicles.
The freeway was closed for about four hours until the Medical Examiner's Office removed the body.
A Medical Examiner investigator told City News Service that further investigation was necessary to identify the man and determine how he died.
Firefighters were battling a roadside vegetation fire Friday morning off Interstate 15 near Market Street in the Mount Hope neighborhood, authorities said.
Temperatures are going to remain in the warm range across San Diego County, but the sizzling temperatures experienced Wednesday and Thursday will not be present.
Shoppers were out before dawn in the U.S. for fun and for deals, as retailers that have had a tough year were hoping to bring customers to their stores and websites for Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
A charity run, meals for the needy, a long-running music festival and -- shhh! -- holiday shopping were on tap for Thanksgiving Day in San Diego.
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County was at its highest amount on Thanksgiving since 2013 Thursday, despite dropping for 10 consecutive days.
Shoppers are hitting the stores on Thanksgiving as retailers under pressure look for ways to poach shoppers from their rivals.
The California Highway Patrol arrested 15 in San Diego County on suspicion of drunken driving, during the first night of its annual Thanksgiving "maximum enforcement period."
The always-heated topic of whether to begin holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day will be raised again Thursday, as many chain stores will open their doors around San Diego one day before the so-called "Black Friday."


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Eight weeks jail for shoplifter
A SHOPLIFTER swore at a judge as she was led away to serve an eight week prison sentence for stealing from a Chatteris supermarket.
Repeat offender Kirsty Mills admitted that she had stolen �44 worth of hair care products from the Co-op on Monday (August 30).
She went into the store to buy cigarettes, and was seen hiding the stolen goods in a handbag, prosecutor Nicola Rice told District Judge Ken Sheraton, sitting at Wisbech courthouse.
Mills offered to pay for the stolen hair care products, but had less than �6 in her purse, and no payment cards.
The 22-year-old, of Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, gave a false name when first apprehended, but later admitted her true identity to police.
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Mitigating, Michael Hinchliffe said Mills was a former drug user, but was currently clear of drugs.
“She has been in and out of custody numerous times,” he said. “She had never worked in her life.”
- 1 Pub closes as owners decide not to sell
- 2 Work starts on £3.16m apprenticeship training school
- 3 Customers report summerhouse builder to fraud investigators
- 4 Yard sale raises over £1,400 from second annual event
- 5 Theatre group stalwart steps down after nine years
- 6 'Panicked' dangerous driver apologises after 90mph police pursuit
- 7 Health chief’s stark warning: ‘The virus doesn’t care we changed the rules’
- 8 Medieval pottery unearthed at Cambs campsite
- 9 Father murders daughter’s ex-partner in 'frenzied' multiple knife attack
- 10 Residents make most of lockdown easing as Christmas comes early


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Indian Domestic Car Sales up 15% in September, Motorcycles Sales up by 16%
For representational purpose. (Photo: AFP Relaxnews)
Domestic passenger car sales rose 15.14 percent to 1,95,259 units in September, from 1,69,590 in the same month last year.
Total passenger vehicle sales were up 19.92 percent at 2,78,428 units in September, as against 2,32,170 a year ago. According to figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), motorcycle sales in the country grew 16.33 percent during the month to 11,86,770 units, from 10,20,204 in the corresponding month last year.
Total two-wheeler sales moved up 21.59 percent to 18,68,993 units last month, from 15,37,104 in September 2015. Sales of commercial vehicles, however, declined by 1.95 percent to 61,621 units in the month under review, from 62,845 in the year-ago period, SIAM said.
Total sales of vehicles across categories registered an increase of 20.16 percent to 22,60,992 units in September as against 18,81,643 units in the year-earlier month, it added.
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“We are proud of the work both Nikki & Caitlin have put into achieving this certification," said Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners. "They are valuable team members who are go-getters who motivate others and are experts in their respective fields of finance, digital marketing and communications.”
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (PRWEB) March 05, 2021
Recently, two members of Cruise Planners leadership team have earned the highly coveted recognition from the International Franchise Association (IFA) as Certified Franchise Executives (CFE). Both Cruise Planners’ Senior Director of Accounting & Finance, Nikki Hetzel, and Director of Communications & Digital Strategy, Caitlin Gardner, have dedicated themselves over the past few years to learn, collaborate and grow as franchise leaders.
The certificate program offered by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives, requires 3,500 CFE credits by completing the continuing education programs, actively participating in IFA events, and successfully passing the final exam, which they both did well within the three-year time limit.
"Having two Certified Franchise Executives within our leadership team at Cruise Planners, further solidifies our position as a top franchise,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and founder of Cruise Planners. “We are proud of the work both Nikki and Caitlin have put into achieving this certification. They are valuable team members who are go-getters who motivate others and are experts in their respective fields of finance, digital marketing and corporate communications. We are proud to have them in the Cruise Planners family.”
This certification is important to Cruise Planners and franchisees as Hetzel and Gardner are part of a growing number of female executive leaders committed to improving the franchise sector by increasing their knowledge of the intricacies within the franchise business model. The IFA offers a wide variety of continuing education programs for professional development, with a mission to enhance the professionalism of franchising by certifying the highest standards of quality training and education.
“During this difficult year in the travel industry, continuing education has become a very important topic for our franchisees to help remain strong and be prepared for when the resurgence of world travel returns,” Fee said. "Of course, this is also important for our home office team members as well - this certification shows our commitment to franchising and investment into our team.”
Cruise Planners has been in franchising for over two decades and has been the No.1 Travel franchise for more than 18 years, according to Entrepreneur magazine. Cruise Planners remains a low-cost franchise opportunity, a proud member of the International Franchise Association, and a VetFran franchise.


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Roots launches Shawn Mendes collection
Lifestyle brand Roots is gearing up to launch a capsule collection designed in collaboration with singer/songwriter, Shawn Mendes.
Dubbed 'Roots x Shawn Mendes', the limited-edition collection will be available as of Tuesday in celebration of the singers first-ever stadium show and will officially launch at a pop-up shop in the Roots store at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
The limited-edition capsule collection plays on the album art of Mendes's latest release and features Roots signature apparel pieces. Items include a hoodie ($88), sweatpants ($82), two pocket t-shirts ($36 each), a toque ($32), as well as a custom-designed Award Jacket ($598), handcrafted in the Roots Toronto Leather Factory.
"We are thrilled to partner with Shawn during such an important milestone in his career," said Karen Zuccala, Vice President, Marketing of Roots, in a news statement.
"It is an honour to work with such an incredibly talented Canadian singer and songwriter and bring his vision to life. The collection is the beginning of an ongoing creative relationship; we are excited to see where we can take this."
Roots, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary, has had a long-standing tradition of supporting arts and culture.
In fact, as part of its 2018 'Sweatstyle' campaign, it teamed up with several Canadian musicians. In the past, it has equally worked with musicians like Daniel Caesar, Jessie Reyez, and K-os to name a few.
Copyright © 2021 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Whether it’s the massive casino, the new hotel tower or an upcoming racing track, Great Canadian Gaming hopes to have the best hand to draw in visitors. And this year, it’s hoping a new executive hotel will bring more visitors to the resort.
“When guests come into the property, the first thing they do is go, ‘This is really like Vegas,’” says casino general manager Wayne Odegard.
Balancing risk and reward — Pickering, Ont. gets cash injection from new casino
This gibbon became pregnant while living in isolation. How is that possible?
It’s the first executive hotel to open in Pickering, Ont., and boasts 275 rooms, including full living suites, accessibility rooms and other amenities. With the casino and now hotel tower, the idea is to help create a location where visitors can escape – without getting on a plane.
“To create a fully integrated resort within the Durham live community, where you can enjoy a hotel, arena, restaurant. And really find a place to relax,” Odegard said.
This is on top of their 96,000-square-foot casino that opened earlier in the pandemic. And with the talk of a shopping centre, race track and even a water park, they hope to bring everything you would find on the Vegas strip to Durham Region.
“Every week and every month we are going to be introducing some new products within the facility,” says Odegard.
And you won’t only feel the Vegas experience, but taste it as well.
Whether it’s the robot server at the pristine Asian restaurant Sun Sui Wah out of Vancouver, or the upcoming Copperhorn Meats, Odegard says the goal is to set the Pickering Casino Resort above all the rest.
“As it builds out. I can’t be more excited for what is going to come. It really is going to be a vacation, staycation, location for the Pickering area.”
In late spring you’ll also be able to take in a show with a 2,500-seat arena. There was a private showing last month, but when it’s open to the general public they hope to bring several shows to the region.
And as announced late last year, a new venue going right beside the casino is sure to get people’s hearts racing, the new Porsche Experience Centre. It’s the first in Canada and will give Porsche enthusiasts a chance to test-drive the car and check out other attractions.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe says they are excited to see what the development will bring.
“We’re excited about it. We think it will bring increased tourism, increased job,” says Ashe. Because we do have an absence of hotels and think this is a great addition.”
The mayor says with the Durham Live venue and the various amenities, including a film studio, shopping centre and even a water park, they expect the attractions will help boost the economy for the city.
“Our hosting revenue is said to be around $16 million per annum.”
The arena is expected to open in early spring with several new additions in the coming months.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.


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The World Bank, a leading international financial institution, has adjusted its GDP growth forecast for India for the fiscal year 2023-2024. In its latest report, the World Bank projects India’s GDP growth rate to be 6.3%, reflecting a downward revision from its previous estimate. The revision underscores the challenges faced by the Indian economy and highlights the need for policy measures to support economic recovery.
The revised GDP growth forecast for India comes amidst several factors that have impacted the country’s economic performance. These include the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in disruptions to business activities, supply chain bottlenecks, and reduced consumer spending. Additionally, structural issues such as labor market challenges and weak investment sentiment have contributed to the subdued growth outlook.
The World Bank’s revised forecast for India’s GDP growth stands in contrast to its global outlook, which has been raised. The institution now expects the global economy to grow by 5.6% in 2023, reflecting an improvement from its earlier projections. This upward revision is driven by factors such as vaccination campaigns, fiscal stimulus measures, and a rebound in global trade.
The contrasting forecasts highlight the need for India to address the factors hindering its economic growth and seize opportunities for recovery. The World Bank’s report emphasizes the importance of policy measures that support investment, boost consumer sentiment, and enhance the ease of doing business. It also underscores the significance of structural reforms to address issues related to the labor market, infrastructure, and financial sector resilience.
The Indian government has already implemented various measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support economic recovery. These include fiscal stimulus packages, sector-specific reforms, and efforts to improve the business climate. However, the World Bank’s revised forecast signals the need for sustained efforts and targeted policies to revitalize India’s growth trajectory.
Despite the challenges, India’s long-term growth potential remains promising. The country possesses a vast consumer market, a young and dynamic workforce, and a burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem. By leveraging these strengths and implementing strategic reforms, India can position itself for robust and sustainable economic growth in the coming years.
It is crucial for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders to collaborate and prioritize initiatives that foster economic resilience and create an environment conducive to investment and innovation. This includes reforms in areas such as taxation, labor laws, infrastructure development, and digital transformation. By addressing these key areas, India can build a strong foundation for inclusive and sustainable growth.
While the revised GDP growth forecast for India signals challenges ahead, it also serves as a call to action for stakeholders to redouble their efforts towards economic recovery and reforms. The World Bank’s assessment provides valuable insights and recommendations to navigate the current economic landscape and position India for long-term prosperity.
As India works towards addressing the factors impacting its economic growth, it is crucial to remain adaptable and responsive to changing global dynamics. By implementing comprehensive reforms, investing in human capital, and fostering innovation, India can emerge stronger and realize its immense potential as a global economic powerhouse.


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HTC EVO 4G LTE owners who are S-ON have been having quite a hard time lately, myself included. That’s because, as most of us know by now, any changes made to the system partition would, at best, not stick after a reboot – and, at worst, cause your phone to crash and restart. However, HTC’s highly unneccesary road block seems to have been patched, thanks to developer flar2.
Paul reported on New Year’s day about a new kernel by this developer that finally allows proper overclocking and writing to the system partition, but I think more attention needs to be paid to this latter feature, which is causing many S-ON users to rejoice. And, to make things even better, the latest release of Mean Bean (version 1.9) incorporates this module that grants write access to the system partition.
To my knowledge, Mean Bean was the first custom ROM that fixed this issue, although the vast majority of ROMs will most likely incorporate this in future revisions, too. It truly seems that mikeyxda is among the most friendly developers towards S-ON users, opting to support them rather lecture them about accepting OTA updates and not gaining S-OFF.
Flashing Mean Bean is truly a breeze for S-ON users, requiring absolutely no extra work, other than unlocking via HTCdev and installing a custom recovery. Mean Bean even includes an S-ON friendly kernel installer, so S-ON users don’t have to worry about convoluted methods for flashing the kernel – and the ROM keeps getting better and better with each (almost nightly) release.[xda-developers]


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Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.
We make nearly 20% on K3 Capital trade in a month
K3 Capital (K3C:AIM) 267p
Gains to date: 19.2%
Original entry point: Buy at 224p, 1 February
We like advisory firm K3 Capital (K3C:AIM) for the complete package it delivers for small cap M&A deals and it seems the market has caught on.
A trading update on 1 March says the company is trading ‘substantially ahead’ of management’s expectations for the year to 31 May 2018.
FinnCap analyst Jeremy Grime says: ‘The private equity space sees K3 as a good source of buying opportunities and this has driven 2018 year end revenue up 20% to £16.2m from our previous estimate of £13.5m’.
He’s upgraded forecast earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) by 27% to £7m.
The good trading update helped to drive up the share price, meaning our Great Idea is now up by nearly 20% in a single month.
‘While the timing of transactions completing is unpredictable, K3’s direct marketing model has resulted in a more significant pipeline going forwards,’ adds Grime.
‘Their “bigger and better” strategy of moving up the value chain has resulted in 50% revenue growth in the current year, we estimate. The power of market leadership gives this business the ability to be a large quoted company.’


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Bajaj Auto Q1 Net up marginally at Rs 740 croreThursday, July 17, 2014 l Source: PTI
Bajaj Auto Ltd today reported a marginal increase in its net profit at Rs 739.98 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2014. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 737.68 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.
Net sales during the period under review stood at Rs 5,133.37 crore as against Rs 4,808.73 crore in the year-ago quarter, the company said in a statement. Bajaj Auto said its exports revenue during the first quarter stood at Rs 2,251 crore as against Rs 1,876 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal.
Unit sales volume during the period grew marginally to 9,88,430 units as against 9,79,275 units in the same quarter last fiscal. Shares of Bajaj Auto were trading at Rs 2,089.15 per scrip in the mid-day trade, down 2.39 per cent, from the previous close on the BSE.


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Paebo quarry explosion: NADMO gives more relief items to victims
Victims of the quarry explosion at Paebo, a surburb of Nsawam in the Eastern Region, have received relief items from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to assist them as they reconstruct their damaged properties.
The presentation of the items is the second of such effort from NADMO since the incident happened a month ago.
The organization initially presented 100 packets of roofing sheets and 800 pieces of wood to assist victims re-roof their buildings.
At a ceremony in Nsawam, head of relief and reconstruction at NADMO, Gavivina Tamakloe, led a team from the organization's headquarters in Accra to present another set of relief items to the victims of the explosion.
The items include 200 bags of rice, 200 bags of maize, 300 bags of cement,10 bails of clothing, 50 cartons of vegetable oil, 40 cartons of soap among several items.
Nsawam -Adoagyiri Assemblyman Mr Prince Quarshie, urged authorities to distribute the items without considering the political affiliation of victims.
"Everyone who has become a victim must certainly have to be assisted. Government takes great interest in your warfare hence the gesture," the Assemblyman said.
The Nsawam -Adoagyiri NADMO coordinator, Cara Eric, who received the items expressed gratitude to NADMO for the gesture.
He assured to equitably distribute the items to the satisfaction of all affected.